Animated assistance

US-style three dimensional animation could become the norm in British courtrooms, according to Elucidate 3D, which displayed its new animation programme at last weeks exhibition...US-style three dimensional animation could become the norm in British courtrooms, according to Elucidate 3D, which displayed its new animation programme at last weeks exhibition.Witness statements and two dimensional police drawings are collated by the company and used to create three dimensional animated reconstructions of everything from road traffic accidents to house fires.

The animations can be viewed from multiple angles, giving juries an idea of what each eye witness saw from a particular point of view.These techniques, which have been used in the US for more than ten years, supposedly help juries to visualise, and therefore better understand, the evidence put in front of them.

Robert Girvan, Elucidates business development manager, said: This technology is proving vital in cases where the evidence is not immediately clear.

For example, a recent case involved a car accident that took place in a circular grain silo the coroner was unable to fully understand the written statements, and so the use of animation was a huge aid to comprehension of the facts.Mr Girvan added that the use of animation in the US was so widespread that it was a case of when, not if it took off in this country.

Its particularly useful in alternative dispute resolution cases.

The aim there is to stay out of court, and by clarifying the evidence from the start using animation, the cases are settled as soon as possible.Victoria MacCallum